Monsters

- an illustrated board book, drawing together 3 year old children’s playful explorations of danger, safety and daring imagination

Three large cardboard boxes sit quietly, closed, on one side of the classroom. Four children approach, knock on a box, nothing happens. They knock again and a tiger bursts out, roaring. The children run, checking if their wild friend is following. The tiger-boy is perfect; surprisingly sudden and just scary enough.

Why should young children want to meet each other on this borderline of fear and bravery? Why did tigers turn into monsters, monsters into the dark, and a six month project develop, exploring danger and power? Why, when the children drew self-portraits and monsters in the same week, were their monsters so much more detailed and idiosyncratic than the images of themselves?

Pedagogical collaboration: Deb Wilenski / educators: Samira Bello, Vladimíra Herberová / graphic design: Deb Wilenski and Petr Dimitrov (International School of Prague)